In Vivo Measurement of Neurochemical Abnormalities in the Hippocampus in a Rat Model of Cuprizone-Induced Demyelination

This study quantitatively measured the changes in metabolites in the hippocampal lesions of a rat model of cuprizone-induced demyelination as detected using in vivo 7 T proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Nineteen Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups and fed a normal chow diet or cuprizone (0.2%, w/w) for 7 weeks. Demyelinated hippocampal lesions were quantitatively measured using a 7 T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. All proton spectra were quantified for metabolite concentrations and relative ratios. Compared to those in the controls, the cuprizone-induced rats had significantly higher concentrations of glutamate (p = 0.001), gamma-aminobutyric acid (p = 0.019), and glutamate + glutamine (p = 0.001); however, creatine + phosphocreatine (p = 0.006) and myo-inositol (p = 0.001) concentrations were lower. In addition, we found that the glutamine and glutamate complex/total creatine (p < 0.001), glutamate/total creatine (p < 0.001), and GABA/total creatine (p = 0.002) ratios were significantly higher in cuprizone-treated rats than in control rats. Our results showed that cuprizone-induced neuronal demyelination may influence the severe abnormal metabolism in hippocampal lesions, and these responses could be caused by microglial activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and astrocytic necrosis.